Law & Order: SVU To Add A New Castmate To Season 24

At this point, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" has convinced the world that it is eternal, as it's impossible to imagine a scenario without the crime drama premiering new episodes each week. Dick Wolf's procedural crime series launched in 1999 and has never looked back. 24 seasons later, Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson is still working hard to protect the lives of New York City residents, with her team of partners and coworkers seemingly constantly rotating in and out of the office.

When "SVU" first started, the main focus was on the detective duo of Benson and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). Joining them, and rounding out a rich supporting cast, was Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer), Captain Don Cragen (Dann Florek), and Detective Fin Tutuola (Ice-T). Over the years, "SVU" has had a surprisingly impressive list of guest appearances. Many notable A-list actors have spent time on the NBC show, including Robin Williams, Bradley Cooper, and Pedro Pascal, who's now taking the industry by storm with "The Last of Us" and "The Mandalorian." Even "Black Panther" star Winston Duke got his TV start on "SVU."

Whether it's with the series' main cast and crew or guest stars, "SVU" continues to blow audiences away with the ensemble NBC has been able to assemble. The show is now well into Season 24, with Captain Benson and her team working as hard as ever to arrest some of New York's worst criminals. They are about to have their hands full with yet another well-known actor joining the show in an upcoming episode.

According to a new report from Variety, Bradley Whitford will be the next actor to go head-to-head against Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson. The outlet describes Whitford's character as "a professor struggling with early-onset dementia who confesses to a murder." He will appear in the show's upcoming episode set to premiere on February 23, which Hargitay will be directing herself.

Whitford adds another name to the long list of actors who have appeared on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Previously, the actor starred alongside Adam Sandler in "Billy Madison," playing the villainous executive trying to take over Madison's company. He also starred in the underrated horror comedy "Cabin in the Woods" as one of two Facility technicians sending monsters to attack the cabin. More recently, he appeared in Jordan Peele's breakout movie "Get Out" as the family's successful but sketchy father, Dean Armitage. The actor has also starred in his fair share of television series, including "The West Wing" and "The Handmaid's Tale."

Whitford's addition to "SVU" comes just as the show said goodbye to one of its long-standing cast members. Kelli Giddish's Detective Amanda Rollins recently left the show after starring in it for over a decade and becoming an integral part of the series. Hopefully, Whitford's guest appearance fills the void that "SVU" fans must be feeling.